TEHRAN: Iran declared on Tuesday that it was negotiating with all its might to prevent a sanctions snapback threatened by European powers under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated that Tehran’s focus remained on preventing actions that could prove costly for the country during his weekly press conference.
He confirmed that Iran was engaging in intense negotiations ahead of planned talks with Britain, France and Germany scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva.
This meeting represents the second round of discussions between Iranian and European diplomats since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel erupted in mid-June.
The conflict, triggered by an unprecedented Israeli surprise attack, derailed Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with the United States and prompted Iran to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
The European trio, all parties to the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal, have threatened to trigger the accord’s snapback mechanism by the end of August.
This action would reimpose sweeping UN sanctions lifted under the agreement unless Iran agreed to curb its uranium enrichment and restore cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.
Iran insists the European powers lack both legal and moral grounds to trigger a snapback against Tehran.
Baqaei emphasised that Iran would not allow this issue to become a tool of psychological warfare against its citizens.
The window for activating the mechanism closes in October, after which the UN sanctions would be permanently removed, but according to the Financial Times, the Europeans have suggested pushing back that deadline.
Iran has dismissed the Europeans’ right to extend the deadline, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently stating Tehran was working with allies China and Russia to prevent sanctions reimposition.
The nuclear deal was torpedoed in 2018 when Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States during his first presidential term and slapped crippling sanctions on Iran.
Just before the recent war with Israel, Iran held five rounds of talks with the United States aimed at reaching a new agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Israel’s offensive killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others, striking both military facilities and residential areas.
Iran responded with ballistic missile barrages targeting Israeli cities during the conflict.
The war also saw the United States carry out strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities before hostilities ceased.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24 following the intense military confrontation. – AFP
